Viruses Flashcards
Most abundant microbes on earth
Virus
What does it mean that a virus is an “obligate intracellular parasite”
Must exist within a cell
What kinds of cells do viruses infect
Infect all kinds of cells (prokaryotes and eukaryotes)
Specific, eukaryote virus vs prokaryote virus
What kind of cells do viruses have
Acellular (not all the characteristics of the cell) or subcellular (missing stuff that constitutes thecell entities
Why are viruses not considered living
Acellular and cannot reproduce independantly
Size of virus
Extremely small: 30nm (poliovirus) to 300nm (vaccinia virus) in diameter
Structure of virus
Outside: protein coat (capsid)
Some have lipd envolope (envolope virus
No evnolpe = naked virus
Small genomes, very few genes (3-100s)
DNA or RNA (NEVER BOTH)
Few proteins, NO ribosomes or ATP-generating mechanism
Compare viruses and bacteria
Viruses do not contain both RNA and DNA
Bacteria does
Viruses are not sensitive to antibiotics while bacteria are
Viruses are sensitive to interferons
Capsid
protein coat that enclose and protect genetic material
Some of have external lipid covering, some do not
Capsid made from identical subunits called capsomers
Viruses classified into several morphological types
Helical
Polyhedral
Complex
Envoloped
Helical viruses
Long rods, cylindrical capsid; rigid OR flexible
DNA/RNA within a hollow, cylindrical capsid (Helical structure_
Ex. Ebola or rabies
Polyhedral viruses
Many anim, plant and bacteria viruses tend to be this type
Icosahedron shape: 20 trianglualr aces and 12 corners
Each face forms and equilateral triangle
Ex. Adenovirus, poliovirus
Complex viruses
Complicated structures (i.e. bacteriophage)
Capsid head is polyhedral and the tail sheath is helical
Other structures such as tail fibers (proteins) and pin (for injecting DNA)
Ghost virus: Have already injected DNA into bacterial cell
Are Helical, polyhedral, and complex viruses normally naked or enveloped?
Most are naked
Envoloped virus
Envolope: composed of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates
Derived from host
May be covered with spikes
Glycoproteins fro attachment
Ex.
SARS Coronavirus
Influenza virus
Herpesvirus
How do viruses avoid recognition
Viruses change spike composition to avoid antibody recognition
Naked viruses (plus examples)
No lipid coat outside the capsid
Ex. Rhinovirus
Polivirus
Norwalk
Where do viruses gr ow
Grow in living cells
Bacteriophages from plaques on a lawn of uninfected bacteria
Animal viruses are grown in living animals, embryonic eggs, cell cultures etc.
What is the viruses growth cycle called
One-step growth curve
Eclipse period:
The initial period following the virus entering a host, where the viruses enter the host cells, and so none are detected in circulation
After the eclipse, virions are released from the host cell
Known as the one-step growth curve
Two major cycles of viral replication
Lytic cycle (Reproduction of more viruses) Transcription and translation.
Lysogenic cycle (incorporation of DNA into cell DNA)
Viral DNA incorporated into cell genome
6 steps of viral reproduction
Attatchement
Penetration
Transcription (DNA is transcribed into RNA and used to make proteins from ribosomes)
Biosynthesis (Viral components (proteins) are assembled)
Maturation
Lysis
How do regular bacterial cells produce sickness
Only cells that have picked up extra genes can produce sickness
Lytic cycle
Attatchment and penetration
Biosynthesis, beginning with replication or transcription and translation
Synthesising proteins and assembly into viral particles
Cell lyses and releases viruses